Stand Inside Your Love
by Bandbabe
Summary: Dawson and Joey feel a connection set in season 4


"Stand Inside Your Love" by Bandbabe

Summary: Dawson and Joey feel a connection (written before but set in Season 4)

Author's Note: I wrote thisD/J story in February2001.

(Original) Author's Note: Sadly I no longer consider myself a D/J fan. When "Great Xpectations" ended with D/J, the magic was gone. They didn't look the same. I am a Dawson fan so I will continue to write Dawson fic (Dawson/Joey, Dawson/Jen, Dawson/Gretchen, and Dawson/Andie).

Stand Inside Your Love

And she was gone. He let her go. He told her before that if they were truly meant to be together, they would find their way back to each other. As he lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, he wondered if that was true. Would they find their way back to each other? Only time would tell. God, he hoped they would.

Two Months Later…

They stood there for a few minutes not sure what to say or do. He studied her. Her hair was longer, her skin more tanned. She wore a light blue tank top with blue jeans. She looked beautiful. She didn't look happier though. He took note of that.

She took in the changes with him. His hair was much shorter. It suited him. He wore a short-sleeved button down dark blue shirt, with those black wire necklaces cute guys wear that make them even more irresistible. He had on black pants. He looked hot. He seemed somewhat different though. Not just in his physical appearance.

"Uh, hi Jo," he said.

"Hi Dawson," she responded. She looked up. They made eye contact. They both were caught off guard. They knew so much in one glance that it scared them. Joey quickly looked away. She didn't want to be that vulnerable. She didn't want things she tried so hard to hide or forget to show.

Dawson stood there. Joey. She hadn't left his thoughts all summer long. He tried to forget about her. At least for a little while but if there was one thing he knew, he was in love with Joey Potter. He wouldn't be at ease until he found out how she felt about him. He had gone on dates with a few other girls over the summer but when it came to relationships it was all or nothing. He had to be totally dedicated to a relationship or not be in one at all. He wouldn't be until he knew if Joey was over him. He had reason to believe otherwise.

"I have to go," she said and left hastily. She wasn't sure what happened but it was intense.

The Next Day…

School was actually starting. Before it seemed like a concept. Now it was a reality. Like Dawson she thought. Over the summer it was just her and Pacey. But back home, Dawson stood right in front of her. Stared into her eyes. She had wanted to kiss him so badly. She wanted to be held in his arms. She missed him. She just wanted be with him. She mentally slapped herself. She told herself she shouldn't be thinking this. She told herself she was with Pacey and was happy. She still wasn't ready to face the truth.

"Hey," Jen said to Dawson and sat at the table. It was lunch and his mind seemed elsewhere.

"Hey," he said back and took a bite of his tuna sandwich.

"What's up with you?" she asked straight to the point.

"Hey you guys," Jack said warmly.

Jen looked at Dawson again then turned towards Jack and smiled.

"Hey. Nice letterman jacket!" she said mockingly, "Gotta love them Minutemen."

"Where's you school spirit?" he fired back, though it was not a comeback.

"Hey Jackers," Dawson said, "Jen, aren't you the little head cheerleader hypocrite?" he said teasingly.

She stuck her tongue out. They were often like this. The summer brought them closer.

"Where's Andie?" Dawson asked.

"She's at the guidance office trying to get a class changed," Jack explained, "She'll be a little late."

"Oh."

"Y'know, today turned out better than I expected it to be," Jack started.

Dawson was listening but then he saw her. She sat down quite a few tables away. Pacey sat across from her. He was talking about something. Dawson knew how Pacey could ramble. He watched her. She looked slightly bored.

A few moments later she met his eyes. He knew he should probably look away but he didn't. There was electricity. A feeling he couldn't quite describe.

She felt it too. Here she was sitting at a table with her boyfriend, staring across the room at her ex-boyfriend. Was she in love with him? If she was in love with anyone it wasn't Pacey she acknowledged.

The bell rang. What she felt for Dawson was real. She could no longer deny it. And Dawson was telling her something. His eyes, he was saying 'I love you. You know that. But, I can only show you the door. You're the one who has to walk through it.' Would she have the strength to?

That Afternoon…

She walked here straight from school. She couldn't think of anything else. She had to talk to him. She realized he might not even be home or have company over but she had to try. A few days ago she saw the ladder was still up which was a pleasant surprise but she decided not to enter that way.

Instead she rang the doorbell. She waited for a while. 'Please be home,' she thought. Suddenly the door opened.

"Joey," Dawson said. He was a little surprised.

"Dawson, can we talk?" she asked.

"Sure," he said and led her in. They went up to his room. The computer was on. It was on a writing program and mp3 player.

"Wow, you have a lot of tracks," she commented. He just nodded.

She sat on the bed.

"So what did you want to talk about?" he asked.

Joey opened her mouth to speak then shut it.

She looked up and met his eyes once again. She quickly looked away. She was here. She knew why and she was not going to chicken out.

"I love you," she blurted out. She winced but waited for a reaction. His eyes were unreadable.

"Yeah, I love you too," he said nonchalantly and didn't move any closer to her, "So why are you with him?" he asked coldly.

"I'm not with him anymore. I ended-"

"You know what I mean," he interrupted.

"There were lots of reasons Dawson. Pacey was really there for me last year. My life was pretty crazy and someone actually cared. I mistook my need for him as something more. And I was scared to try us again. I was scared I'd get hurt and I was scared we wouldn't work out. He just seemed like the safest choice. I don't know," she said. She was crying.

Dawson let down his guard. He went over to her and hugged her. It felt good to hold her again. He put back to arms length and put both hands on her shoulders. He stared into her eyes.

No words were necessary. They both knew things would turn out okay. Joey broke out into a smile and Dawson followed suit.

"So how have you been?" she asked him.

He took a few moments to answer.

"Things have been.. so far out," he finally said, "but I have a feeling things are coming together."

"Me too," she said and took his hand into her's. He looked down to their intertwined hands. It felt so right. He took his other hand and caressed her cheek. Their lips met in a passionate kiss. It blew them both away. They then kissed again.

If someone saw them from the outside, they would see two figures kissing filling up the darkness with light.


End file.
